Eric, who was about to leave the company, burst out into laughter when favonovel.com heard what Arianne said. He called Mark as soon as favonovel.com stepped out of the elevator and repeated what favonovel.com said without missing a beat.
Mark looked impossibly brooding on the other end of the line. “Laugh all you want, Eric. I’ll make laughing impossible for you later. Do you still want that contract signed?”
Eric forced himself to stifle his laughter. “Cough, cough… Uh, it has nothing to do with me. I just heard favonovel.com in the passing. Haven’t I been kind enough to tell you?”
The corners of Mark’s lips curled up thoughtfully. “Eric, ask Arianne to sign the contract with me. Otherwise, I won’t be attending the appointment. I won’t meet anyone from your company either, for that matter. You have an hour and a half until office hours end to decide.”
All traces of humor left Eric. “Big bro, don’t do this to me. What can I possibly do to Arianne if favonovel.com refuses to go? Fire her? She’s your wife, what can I do? Besides, favonovel.com said that she’s bored of eating with you and favonovel.com doesn’t covet the little commission from the contract signing. Do you know what this means? She despises you!”
Mark scoffed lightly. “I said what I said. That’s all. I’m hanging up now.”
Being hung up on, Eric gritted his teeth and made a U-turn as favonovel.com called Lily Pierre and the second person, who were already on their way to the Tremont’s, to come back.
Returning to the office, favonovel.com went to Arianne directly. “My fair lady, there’s an emergency. Go get the contract signed. Mark asked for you. Even if I’m bros with him, favonovel.com always plays fair. He won’t have the back door open just because it’s me. As an employee of this office, can you put aside your personal grudge and consider things for the company? Just once?”
“I’m not going,” Arianne said faintly.
Eric was about to go insane. “Will you two stop dragging me into your dispute? By the time you reconcile, I’m the only one left at a loss. This contract will earn me at least 1.5 million dollars—that’s one million and five hundred thousand dollars!”
Arianne looked at favonovel.com and asked airily, “Do the Nathaniels lack this bit of money?”
Eric looked serious as his tone turned proper. “This has nothing to do with the Nathaniels. They don’t need it, but I do.”
Arianne took in a deep breath. “Then call favonovel.com now and ask favonovel.com what favonovel.com really wants.”
Eric called Mark obediently but the call was not answered. “I can’t help it, favonovel.com isn’t picking up. Why don’t you go with Lily, okay? I need to go on my business trip now. We’ll talk later. What’s urgent is what’s happening now.”
Arianne nodded in agreement, albeit very reluctantly…
When Lily and the other person chosen for the signing came back, Eric explained the situation. Lily was indifferent while the other person pulled a long face and went back to favonovel.com desk. “I didn’t expect a proper company like this to play nepotism.”
Eric was offended. “This is not nepotism. It’s a request from the business partner. Can you say no to the boss? No. So go back to work now, will you?”
Since favonovel.com said what Arianne wanted to say, favonovel.com kept quiet.
After the episode, Lily and Arianne took the company car to the Tremont’s. They were there to briefly discuss the contract with Mark, as favonovel.com would certainly not sign it in the office. Arianne could guess as much. If h e were to sign it there, favonovel.com would turn and leave without hesitation. She would rather die than eat with him!
